Open AccessPhysiological and pathological role of local and immigrating colonic stem cells
Author(s) -
Ferenc Sípos,
Gábor Valcz,
Béla Molnár
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v18.i4.295
Subject(s) - stem cell , wound healing , biology , cancer stem cell , crypt , pathology , carcinogenesis , context (archaeology) , inflammation , adult stem cell , intestinal mucosa , compartment (ship) , colorectal cancer , cellular differentiation , immunology , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer , endocrinology , paleontology , biochemistry , genetics , gene , oceanography , geology
The latest avenue of research is revealing the existence of and role for the colonic stem cells in the physiological renewal of the mucosa and in pathological circumstances where they have both positive and negative effects. In the case of human colon, different levels of stem cell compartments exist. First, the crypt epithelial stem cells, which have a role in the normal crypt epithelial cell dynamics and in colorectal carcinogenesis. Close to the crypts, the second layer of stem cells can be found; the local subepithelial stem cell niche, including the pericryptic subepithelial myofibroblasts that regulate the epithelial cell differentiation and have a crucial role in cancer progression and chronic inflammation-related fibrosis. The third level of stem cell compartment is the immigrating bone-marrow-derived stem cells, which have an important role in wound healing after severe mucosal inflammation, but are also involved in cancer invasion. This paper focuses on stem cell biology in the context of physiological and pathological processes in the human colon.